Before the time of the AH1N1 paros, or work stoppages, I had started a series on public art in Mexico. A prior post had shown some pictures of graffiti in Oaxaca, and here are some from other cities. This one with the angry pig and his small elephant friend is my favorite….

Clearly a case of influenza.

Here are a few others (of many), that rock, too. In comparison to the pictures from Oaxaca, this form of public art from other parts of Mexico seems to offer less overt messages, but it’s probably way too small a sample to draw a formal conclusion.

Every society has its own cultural standards for the types of advertising that not only catch peoples’ attention but incite them to buy. In Mexico, babies — accentuated for “cuteness,” of course — are a common theme in advertising. They certainly are attention grabbers and must have drawing power. Though, I must admit, sometimes these “baby-ads” really creep me out.

Cacaxtla and Xochitécatl are two adjacent Olmec ruins situated on a hilltop near Nativitas, a town close to Puebla, Mexico. Cacaxtla has some fascinating and very well preserved colored murals, and Xochitécatl has a few pyramids, one of which has the “fourth widest base in Latin America.” Ooooh. But what’s most impressive about this pair of sites it the incredible views of three volcanoes in the Puebla valley, including the towering Popocatepetl and Itzaccíhuatl (shown below).

Itzaccíhuatl (left) and Xochitécatl (right)

The day of the trip to see these ruins also happened to be the spring equinox, a day on which Mexicans traditionally gather and visit pyramids. In some of the pictures below, especially those of Xochitécatl, there are dozens of families all decked out in white (their Saturday equinox best?). More about that in the next post…

Cacaxtla has many painted murals…

including this column…

several other small pyramids…

and this spectacular view of Itzaccíhuatl (left) and Xochitécatl (right).

La Malinche is a 14,600-foot dormant volcano near Puebla and I intend to climb it.

La Malinche (14,635'), as seen from Zacatelco, Mexico (~7,300')

La Malinche is also known as Matlacueitl, Malintzin, and Matlalcuéyetl and named in part after the infamous Nahua woman, concubine to Hernán Cortés, who is simultaneously portrayed to as a traitor, mother, and heroine of Mexico. Seems intimidating, though, from the picture above, the 7000’+ difference might as well be a molehill. More soon….